Promoting your 33 DMG Hearts Afire Program

Bulletin Announcements

St. John Neumann in Sunbury, Ohio, found the perfect recipe to creating an incredible fruitful 33 Days to Morning Glory 6-week Retreat!

Their secret?

Keep it simple, work with what you have, and promote it with passion!

Here's their recipe: 

1. Start with a Small Core Team going through 33 Days to Morning Glory: SJN invited those working at the parish and those leading small faith sharing groups to participate in a 33DMG group that consecrated on August 15. This ignited a spark to take the 33DMG parish-wide.
2. Get the Support of Your Pastor: SJN introduced their pastor to the 33DMG 6-week Retreat by showing him the page on the website (Introduce 33DMG to Your Parish) and more importantly, they witnessed to him. They told him of their experience, the ease of running the program, the simplicity of implementing the program, and above all, the transformation in their hearts because of their experience doing the program. They shared their enthusiasm to share 33DMG and even posted a short video of the testimony of a core team member: Jackie Shares Why to Go to Jesus through Mary
3. Have Kick-off that Introduces 33DMG to the Parish: SJN hosted a Hearts Afire One-day Retreat and had Fr. Michael Gaitley and his team come and give a spiritual retreat that introduced all to the content of the Hearts Afire program and at the same time gave instruction on how to run a successful HAPP program in the parish. They opened the doors to member of parishes throughout the diocese and because of their generous hospitality over a dozen surrounding parishes are also implementing a 33DMG retreat. This kick-off could also be an information night like the one held by Fr. Angelo in Wisconsin in which he used the Powerpoint: 33 Days to Morning Glory Introduction PowerPoint
4. Promote Your Retreat at Mass, in the Bulletin, by Word of Mouth, and on Your Parish Website: SJN held three weekends in which the pastor promoted 33 DMG and the core team had books and materials available for sale after all Masses, along with members eager to answer questions and share their testimonies. SJN invited leaders of already formed small faith groups to run 33DMG in their circles, including the Youth Group, which has over 40 kids going through 33DMG. They invited people to prayerfully consider leading a group for those who were not already in a faith-sharing group and they encouraged those who couldn't make it to a group to buy the book and do it on their own such that they can all consecrate together on Dec. 8. They used the templates provided on the HAPP website for bulletin and pulpit announcements and made an AWESOME page on their Website: SJN 33 Days to Morning Glory Consecration Best of all, they invite you to "steal" their ideas and use them to ignite hearts on fire in your parish.
5. Pray... Pray... Pray... SJN has people praying for all those going through the preparation for consecration to Jesus through Mary with 33DMG and for the success of retreat. They have placed this in their book of intentions, prayeed for it at Adoration, and added it to the Prayers of the Faithful.